In the ballads concerning the royal Prince Marko we see that he was always chivalrous toward women, especially toward widows and oppressed maidens, irrespective of their social position or their religion. He is willing to succour Turkish maidens, for whom he is ready to jeopardize his life. In the ballad entitled "The Captivity and Marriage of Stephan Yakshitch" the bard tells of advances made to Stephan by a passionate Turkish maiden, which he repels with indignation at the mere idea of an alliance between a Christian and a Mussulman woman. King Voukashin might have corresponded with Voïvode Momtchilo's wife previous to her marriage, but if so it must have been rather a political attachment than an affair of the heart.
CHAPTER XII: THE SAINTS DIVIDE THE TREASURES [70]
Merciful Creator! Does it thunder, or is the earth quaking? Or can it be the tempestuous ocean hurling its waves against the shore? [71]
Nay! It is not thunder, neither is the earth quaking, nor is the stormy ocean beating upon the shore!
Lo! the saints are dividing among themselves the treasures of Heaven, of Earth and of Sea: Saint Peter and St. Nicholas, St. John and St. Elias; with them, too, is St. Panthelias.
Suddenly there comes Beata Maria, tears streaming down her white face.
"Dear sister ours," spake St. Elias, "thou Beata Maria! What great misfortune hath befallen thee that thou shouldst shed tears down thy cheeks?"
Thereupon, amid her sobs, Beata Maria said: "O my dear brother, thou Thunderer Elias! How could I refrain from shedding tears, since I am just come from India--from India, that accursed country? In that degraded land there is utter lawlessness: the common people do not respect their superiors; children do not obey their parents; parents crush their own children under their feet (may their cheeks blush at the divan [72] before the very God of truth!) A koom prosecutes a brother koom before the judge and bears false witness against him--thus losing his own soul, and damaging one who has acted as a witness at his wedding or baptism; brother challenges brother to duels; a bride is not to be entrusted with safety to the care of a dever, and, alas! even more dreadful things have I seen!"